Like countless other blogs, here will be posted random musing on life, the universe and everything...well as long as the everything includes Films, Books, Motorcycles, Poker, Linux, Python and Dorset.




Patio in Pictures

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I have been planning to post a timeline of photos showing the creation of our new patio and I finally got around to doing it today. So here we go:

First we have the preparations for laying the foundation slab.





Once the slab was laid, I had to write the traditional 'we were here' message (I only just remembered to take this photo before the slabs went down, as can be seen in the second photo).





...and three tonnes of topsoil and a layer of turf later, voila the final result (with the turf nearly bedded in). Spot Tracy hiding behind her book.






Bad bad run!!!

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I don't know what has happened in the last week but Lady Luck has certainly abandoned me. I have been hit by major losses (respectively) playing OHL 50c/$1 on Party (basically wiping out ALL of my profits from last week) and I have not placed in a STT on Pokerstars at all. I seem to be missing every draw I go for and when I do get the nuts, one or two other people have as well and we split (there were three people with A3 in their hands in one hand on Party last night for the nut low!!!). Thankfully I had a nice steady game of OHL on Pokerstars on Sunday morning, in which I made a nice little profit and also pushed my bonus to within around 30FPP of clearance - which is pretty much my only good game for the whole week.
I can only hope Lady Luck returns her favour to me for Sunday, for the World Championship of Bloggers tourney.


Python Challenge - Level 32

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Okay, done. Solution detailed below (kind of):

Bxnl, V unir gb nqzvg fbzrguvat fgenvtug njnl urer. V arire hfrq Clguba sbe guvf yriry ng nyy, npghnyyl V qvq abg rira qb nal cebtenzzvat. Fb bajneqf.....
Jr ner zrg jvgu n chmmyr onfrq ba n tevq jvgu ahzoref nebhaq gur bhgfvqr naq jr ner gbyq gung jr arrq gb 'Svyy va gur tncf sbe jnezhc.gkg' va gur UGZY fbhepr. Erqverpgvat gur jro oebjfre gb jnezhc.gkg tvirf hf n grkg svyr pbagnvavat tevq fvmr cnenzrgref naq ubevmbagny naq iregvpny ahzoref zhpu yvxr jung jr fnj orvat qvfcynlrq cerivbhfyl.
Gur svefg guvat gb haqrefgnaq nobhg guvf yriry vf jung guvf tevq chmmyr npghnyyl vf. Jvgu n yvggyr tbbtyvat, V sbhaq bhg gung vg jnf n chmmyr xabja nf n 'Tevqqyre' be n 'Ababtenz'. Nsgre znal ubhef bs gelvat gb svaq na nytbevguz be cfhrqbpbqr gung V pbhyq haqrefgnaq gb jevgr n Clguba fbyire sbe gur chmmyr, V erfbegrq gb hfvat na rkvfgvat cebtenz pnyyrq 'tevq.rkr' jevggra ol Crge Byfnx. Guvf fbyirq gur svefg chmmyr naq cebqhprq n cvpgher bs na neebj cbvagvat hcjneqf. Erqverpgvat gur oebjfre gb hc.ugzy tvirf n cntr pbasvezvat lbhe fhpprff naq tvirf lbh n yvax gb nabgure bar gb gel ng 'hc.gkg'. Srrqvat guvf svyr (jvgu zvabe gjrrxvat) vagb tevq.rkr cebqhprq n cvpgher bs gur Clguba fanxr ybtb. Erqverpgvat gur oebjfre gb clguba.ugzy tvirf n cntr ntnva pbasvezvat bhe fhpprff naq fgngvat gur sbyybjvat:

'"Serr" nf va "Serr fcrrpu", abg nf va "serr... '

Nu, gung pbzzba cuenfr hfrq va gur Bcra Fbhepr pbzzhavgl. Gur nafjre gb guvf yriry vf, bs pbhefr, 'orre'.


Python Challenge - Level 31

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Well I have been very busy at work for the last few months and have only just managed to find a little spare time to look at the Python Challenge.
However in the last day I have managed to find a few moments to play with Level 31 of the challenge and with the help of a lot of hints from Nic, from the Python Challenge Forums, I have finally managed to complete this level. Here is the ROT13'ed solution:

Guvf yriry jnf n guerr fgntr nssnve, jvgu obgu gur svefg naq ynfg fgntrf orvat 'Tbbtyr' onfrq.

Fgntr 1

Jr ner fubja n cvpgher bs n engure cunyyvp ybbxvat ebpx sbezngvba. Vs jr pyvpx ba gur vzntr, jr ner nfxrq sbe n Hfre/Cnffjbeq pbzovangvba. Gur urnqvat sbe gur cntr nfxf 'Jurer nz V?'. N yvggyr tbbtyvat sbe Tenaqcn naq Ebpx fubhyq yrnq lbh gb vasbezngvba ertneqvat guvf ebpx naq gung vg vf ybpngrq va Gunvynaq. Or pnershy gubhtu, nf V jnf pnhtug bhg ba gur rknpg fcryyvat naq fgehpgher bs gur Hfre cneg. Gur erdhverq qrgnvyf ner:

Hfre = xbufnzhv
Cnffjbeq = gunvynaq

Fgntr 2

Guvf yrnqf hf ba gb yriry gjb bs gur chmmyr, jurer jr ner fubja n TVS bs n Znaqryoebg frg naq ner nyfb cebivqrq jvgu fbzr nqqvgvbany vasbezngvba jvguva gur UGZY cntr fbhepr, znvayl:

jvaqbj yrsg="0.34" gbc="0.57" jvqgu="0.036" urvtug="0.027" bcgvba vgrengvbaf="128"

Gurfr inyhrf ner nyy irel vzcbegnag gb cresbezvat n Znaqryoebg pnyphyngvba, gur vgrengvbaf inyhr ersref gb gur znkvzhz ahzore bs vgrengvbaf gb gel naq gur bgure inyhrf qvpgngr gur jvaqbj gb cresbez gur pnyphyngvbaf jvguva v.r. Gbc Yrsg = 0.34, 0.57 Obggbz Evtug = 0.34 + 0.036, 0.57 + 0.027. Lbh nyfb unir gb ybbx pybfryl ng gur znaqryoebg.tvs, nf jr arrq gb pbzcner bhe erfhygf ntnvafg gung vzntr.

Abj V qb abg qb guvf irel bsgra (npghnyyl abg fher V rire unir, ohg V nz tbvat gb cebivqr zl pbqr sbe guvf engure guna rkcynvavat ubj gur znaqryoebg frg jbexf, guvf vf cnegyl orpnhfr lbh pna svaq gung vasb sebz Jvxvcrqvn.bet ohg nyfb orpnhfr gurer ner n ahzore bs 'nqwhfgfzragf' arrqrq gb trg guvf gb jbex:

vzcbeg Vzntr

vzt = Vzntr.bcra('znaqryoebg.tvs')
vzt = vzt.genafcbfr(Vzntr.SYVC_GBC_OBGGBZ)

k_fgneg = 0.34
l_fgneg = 0.57
qvssf = 0

sbe l va enatr(0, 480, 1):
sbe k va enatr(0, 640, 1):

n = k0 = k_fgneg + 0.036 * k / 640
o = l0 = l_fgneg + 0.027 * l / 480
ybbc = 0
vg = 0

juvyr ybbc == 0:
vg += 1
p = n
n = n * n - o * o + k0
o = 2 * p * o + l0

vs vg == 128:
ybbc = 1

vs n * n + o * o >= 4:
ybbc = 1

tvs_cvk = vzt.trgcvkry((k,l))

vs tvs_cvk <> vg naq tvs_cvk < 127:
qvssf += 1

cevag qvssf

Abj ehaavat qbja gur pbqr, gur znva cbvagf bs vagrerfg gung ner nobir naq orlbaq gur Znaqryoebg frg ner nf sbyybjf:

vzt = vzt.genafcbfr(Vzntr.SYVC_GBC_OBGGBZ)

Guvf vf erdhverq orpnhfr gur vzntr jr ner pbzcnevat jvgu vf n ubevmbagny zveebe vzntr bs gur Znaqryoebg lbh perngr hfvat gur inyhrf cebivqrq.

vs tvs_cvk <> vg naq tvs_cvk < 127:

Gur tvs_cvk < 127 jnf erdhverq orpnhfr gurer jrer ab 128'f va gur TVS, gurl jrer nyy 127 ohg gurfr jrer abg npghnyyl n qvssrerapr jr jrer ybbxvat sbe.

Nsgre ehaavat guvf pbqr, jr svaq gung gurer ner 1679 qvssreraprf orgjrra gur pnyphyngrq Znaqryoebg frg naq gur TVS vzntr. Guvf yrnqf hf vagb Yriry 3.

Fgntr 3

Onpx gb tbbtyr ntnva. Abj gur svany vgrz bs vasbezngvba jr erdhver vf nyfb va gur UGZY fbhepr naq gung vf 'HSBf?'.
Chggvat 1679 naq HSBf vagb tbbtyr fubhyq oevat hc fbzr vagrerfgvat vgrzf bs vasbezngvba, vapyhqvat fbzr nobhg n genafzvffvba sebz FRGV bs n fgevat bs 1679 ovanel chyfrf. Jurer jrer gurfr chyfrf frag gb? Nccneragyl n zrffntr pnyyrq gur 'Nerpvob zrffntr' jnf frag gb tybohyne fgne pyhfgre Z13 va 1974 naq 'nerpvob' vf gur nafjre gb guvf Chmmyr naq gur ybpngvba bs gur arkg yriry.


Humax 9200T update

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Just a little update on our experience of life with this PVR.
On the whole the experience has been staggering - the way we watch TV has completely changed. We rarely watch programmes live anymore, preferring to watch the recordings (and being able to skip the adverts etc). We are also watching a lot of programmes we would never have watched because of the hassle of setting the Video Recorder or just missing that they were on in the schedules.
There have been two problems however:
1) There have been a number of crashes of the system, even after the software upgrade. However we have not had one for several weeks now, so maybe that glitch has gone.
2) I taped 'Bring Back the A-Team' and Tracy deleted it off of the Hard Drive, right in front of me as I went 'NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'. You might have guessed, I had not seen it yet and Channel 4 have not repeated it on E4 or More4. She is STILL in trouble over that one!
Overall I am very glad we bought it, I am definitely getting to see more Motorcycle racing this year thanks to it. We also have a growing number of films on the Hard Drive now - which I am trying to persuade Tracy to watch - classics like American Werewolf in London and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Perhaps they could be her penance for the A-Team.


New Challenge

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I have recently been pretty successful on Pokerstars, as I head slowly towards the conclusion of the WSOP bonus (currently 74 more FPPs to go) and I am currently set to double the bonus with my additional winnings - currently primarily from STTs.
Yes you read it right, I am back to success in STTs after my months of drought. I am placing in nearly every NL Holdem STT I enter and even managed to win a PL OHL STT as well.
However I am starting to feel that I should really be trying to make a successful bankroll from Ring Gaming. I have been by far the most successful at Omaha H/L and I am overall far above the 1BB per hour rate for all sites I have been playing on. So I decided to set myself a challenge - I would deposit $25 into a site and work my way up in bankroll and also game stakes. My original plan was:


BankrollGame Stakes
Bankrupt <-> $500.50c/$1
$50 <-> $100$1/$2
$100 <-> $150$2/$4
$150 <-> $200$3/$6

After a little consideration, I have decided to have a $25 profit margin e.g. when I get to $75 bankroll, cash out $25 leaving $50 and then go up to $1/$2. Of course if the competition is rough and I go down in bankroll, I will subsequently drop in stakes as well and try and work my way back up again.
My next problem was what site to go to. I do play on Pokerstars a lot but the OHL action is not guarenteed there by any means. Every other site I have gone on also rarely have any OHL action at all. In the end I was left with:

Empire
Party Poker
Pokerstars
Titan

I discounted Empire because it is now Party without the extras. Pokerstars also got dropped because I did not want to mix this exercise with any bonus clearance. That left Party Poker and Titan, so I thought I would log onto Party and see what the action was like.....only to be met with a $25 free money (after 250 raked hands) bonus offer. Well that clinched it (sorry Titan) as I could now put my plan into action without even depositing any money!
I have been playing on Party for four to five days so far and have been killing the 50c/$1 games (with a little software glitch which prevented me from getting on a table for an hour excluded). With 36 raked hands still to go, I have currently around $73 in my bankroll. This was primarily thanks to an aquarium of a table I went onto for an hour yesterday where people were calling maxed out river bets against my nut high hands (with no low possible) or where I got 3/4 pots (High and Split Low), and took $68 off of a $25 buy-in table. I have only ever bettered that one time on a $25 NL Holdem table where I took two buy-ins off of the same guy.
So hopefully on completion of the bonus hands I will move up to $1/$2 and see if I come unstuck.


Rock On!!!!!

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Tracy has been badgering me for weeks now on what I want to have for Father's Day (this is on the 18th June in the UK). After warning her off of any more flying lessons, as another lesson would lead into me having the take the full NPPL with it's £4.5k cost, it has not been an easy quest.
However on Monday we went into Toys R Us in Poole, primarily looking for a bike and scooter for Aimée for her birthday. This was were I came in contact with Guitar Hero running on a demo PS2. Now Wil Wheaton has been raving about this game for a long time but after one go - I was completely hooked.
It has proven one thing to me though. Similar to a lot of Heavy Metal / Rock listening teenagers, I had an electric guitar. However I could never get on with it and eventually sold it. After playing on Guitar Hero, I think I have pretty much proven something to myself...I am actually left handed for playing the guitar. Now I am definitely right handed for pretty much everything, definitely writing, racket sports, Golf, Cricket and Football (okay that is right footed). But for some reason I am wired up as a Leftie for playing the guitar and Archery. I think the guitar thing comes from being a Brass instrument musician for many many years, so I am used to 'keying' the notes with my right hand. No idea with the Archery though - it just feels right to hold the bow in my right hand for some reason. I will have just take Tracy's explanation that 'You are just weird' as the truth....on the other hand she married me and her Dad plays Golf left handed (but is right handed) so :-P to her.
Perhaps I will try with a real guitar again some time, no doubt the daughters will start playing musical instruments soon and that might be my opportunity.


About me

  • I'm Ian Vincent (DorsetBlue)
  • From Dorchester, Dorset, United Kingdom
  • I am married to Tracy and live with our kids (stepsons Paul and Richard and daughters Cara and Aimée) just outside the town of Dorchester in England.
  • My profile

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